These crispy potato tacos are so good and make simple, easy weeknight dinner. You get deliciously Mexican seasoned mashed potatoes layered over corn tortillas and fried to make crispy tacos. It is topped with pico de gallo.
Boil the potatoes in instant pot. Add around 1-inch of water in the instant pot liner, place the rack inside. Place potatoes on the rack. Cook on manual for 8 minutes (for medium-sized potatoes) with the valve on sealing. As pin drops open the lid. If in rush, QPR after 10 minutes.
Once potatoes are cool to touch, peel the skin and take it into a bowl.
Mash using potato masher.
Now add salt and spices (onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin powder).
Mix everything well and taste test for the salt. The filling is ready.
Now take corn tortillas. Spread around 2 tablespoons of filling on one side of tortilla. DO NOT fold yet otherwise corn tortilla will break.
Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot place the prepared tortilla and let it warm up for a few seconds.
Once they warm up then fold it into half. Now corn tortilla won’t break.
Similarly place another tortilla. Once it warms up fold and fry.
Fry till the bottom side is crispy and golden brown.
Then flip tacos using spatula and fry another side. It takes about 1 ½ -2 minutes per side. Then remove it to a plate. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of oil for the second batch and repeat the frying process.
Stuffed the fried potato tacos with pico de gallo topping. Garnish with some cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Ingredients Notes:
Potatoes: You can use any verity. But personally I prefer red skin potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. I do not prefer starchy potatoes like russets.
Chili powder: This is not the Indian red chili powder. This is Americal chili powder which is the mixture for few chilies with the addition of salt and other seasoning.
Recipe Notes:
How do you keep corn tortilla from beaking? Never fold them while corn tortillas are cold or at room temperature even though they are soft and pliable, otherwise they will break while frying. So to avoid breaking corn tortilla, you need to warm up first then fold. So here we are warming up in the pan for a few seconds and then fold. Some extra
Extra Toppings: You can drizzle some hot sauce or salsa or spicy queso for some extra heat & flavor. You can sprinkle the cojita cheese (Mexican cojita cheese is not vegetarian, so I would substitute with parmesan or dried feta).
Tacos should be served immediately. If stored for later then it starts to become soft and soggy, sometimes it gets chewy.
Do not reduce the amount of oil. Less oil makes the tortilla dry and chewy instead of crunchy and crispy.